The truth about a complex built for veterans and the middle class and how it has evolved through the years to become one of the more interesting and controversial of New York stories.

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Management has two priorities: 1) Making sure money is made, hence upgrading and filling up apartments is their goal. "Amenities" are important in selling the place, though few residents use them. 2) If someone needs medical attention, Public Safety will be there, if alerted.

Quality of life issues are not that important, however. Things like the carpet rule or outsider dogs. These "rules" tend to be ignored, on purpose it seems. So you will see a lot that isn't taken care of properly, and complaints will be met with a creative excuse and a smile.

"Peace and quiet" must be a cruel joke, though this property is sold that way. There can be no peace and quiet as ALL apartments must be upgraded, which includes the installation of an AC unit below the window. Aside from the continual construction about the neighborhood, there is a new and noisy subway extension being built along East 14 st and the shut down of the L line. "Choosing" to live in NYC, now the newest mantra, is a fabrication when the talk is of ST and PCV, which was traditionally quiet, with no construction noise.

Though money was always important, it is now more important than ever. Money rules many things, as you will find.

At this point, 30 years into living here and seeing many things, I can state that Management and their reps are BS-ing us. I can't say that loudly enough: We are being BS-ed. I don't see any genuine change, though the "selling" of this place is intense. Few of the "rules" will be enforced, as Management doesn't want to lose customers or potential customers. Where personal integrity is a hallmark of an excellent management style, this integrity is not seen in enforcing some of the rules.

About those "club cars" we see going this way and that way, and outside of Stuy Town or Peter Cooper Village:

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Beating and Attempted Rape & Murder in Stuy Town this February

The Failure of Stuy Town Security

(outtakes that tell an all-too familiar story)

>>By now you probably have heard that a Stuyvesant Town female resident
was attacked and robbed near the M level of 8 Stuyvesant Oval, Sunday,
September 27th. It was only through the vocal responses of neighbors
and the woman's own grit to fight her attacker that the incident didn't
escalate into something far more tragic. According to Town &
Village, the woman was robbed of somewhere between $200-300 and suffered
two black eyes and broken capillaries in her eyes.

>>Stuyvesant Town Security did arrive, once they were alerted, but they
never "caught their man" and, despite all the cameras around the
complex, were not able to see and stop the attack in progress.

>>There have been various other incidents inside Stuyvesant Town--muggings
and a rape--and in each instance that I know of, Stuy Town Security has
not been able to stop the crime nor apprehend the criminal. That's the
serious stuff. If we mention the trivial "quality of life" issues,
Security has also been a dismal failure. The dog rules are not being
enforced and, despite the extra (and pathetic) effort of putting up
green barricades, bicyclists still ride their bikes wherever they
choose.

>>I don't blame Security for not being up to the task of stopping crime
and enforcing Stuy Town's rules. I blame Tishman Speyer, which has
eviscerated Security and relied on technology that has been proven not
to work. I've said this over and over: You need an actual security
presence on the ground, walking,
to even hope to deter crime and enforce the rules. Driving around the
loops or the Oval every hour in vehicles is not going to do it; huddling
in front of monitors at the Management Office isn't going to work,
either. You have to have foot patrols and have those patrols walk
throughout the entire complex, the back ways in particular where rules
are continually being broken and crime is awaiting to sprout.<<

---------------------

The full posting is above.

Another one, from 2014:

Friday, March 28, 2014

There's no other way to look at it. This week's TOWN & VILLAGE
(March 27, 2014) contains what can only be considered a press release
for the new Public Safety office. Titled "New Command Center Offers
Better Access to Public Safety," the lengthy article, which begins on
the newspaper's front page and ends on the last, contains none of the
objections that tenants have had about the new office and, furthermore,
extends its scope to quality of life issues, implying that they are
being dealt with efficiently by Public Safety. The numerous problems
tenants have had with these quality of life issues, still viable to this
day, are ignored by the lack of any challenge to the statements made by
Public Safety Chief Bill McCellan, who is the main source of the quotes
and information contained in the article, written by longtime TOWN
& VILLAGE staffer and principal writer, Sabina Mollot. The fault is
not McCellan's, who is just doing his PR job well, but the paper's,
which should be handling the interview and the article with journalistic
curiosity and integrity, and, perhaps, more extensive research. Just
reading the TA Facebook, this blog and even PCVST's own Facebook, should
alert anyone that there's trouble in the paradise that is presented in
the article. It's rare for the newspaper (or anyone, in fact) to bring
"truth to power" directly with the people who run this complex
(CWCapital's spokesman Brian Moriarty and its Asset Manager Andrew Cain
were also present at the interview), so the golden opportunity to do so
was completely lost when it was determined by the paper and/or its
writer to craft a press release for CWCapital, and nothing else.

The title of the article "New Command Center Offers Better Access to
Public Safety" is itself a positive promotion of the new structure, as
if somehow the previous location, just around the Oval island, was not
access enough or that somehow, down through the decades, access to
Public Safety (or Security, as it was once called) was a real problem
that tenants were concerned about. Gee, I never remember tenants
pleading for more access to Public Safety. Tenants were satisfied and
felt secure with the Oval security booth that has had a presence, in
various forms, once being a brick structure by the fountain. The only
pleas I have heard or read about was for Public Safety to have "boots on
the ground," officers walking the beat of Stuy Town and Peter Cooper
Village, an issue I will get to soon.

The article starts off with by detailing the inside of the new Public
Safety building and noting that "new HD monitors allow officers to see
everything that the 1,200 surveillance cameras located throughout the
complex see in high-definition quality." Kinda interesting that with
all this HD surveillance, Public Safety still has problems stopping
banned dog breeds being walked right in front of the Oval security
booth.

McClellan informs his interviewer that, quoting the article, "residents
have been giving overwhelmingly positive feedback about the department's
more central location and the access to the officers." How many
residents? Well, since the statement is so general, it could be two or
three or maybe six. No mention of the residents who on the TA Facebook
page and this blog have been decrying the new location as marring the
Oval, as being unsightly and too intrusive in what once was a green,
tranquil oasis. No mention of the distress and suffering the
construction of the office caused to the residents who live around the
new structure and their possible future distress as they live nearby an
active large office ("open 24/7") sided by huge generators.

Then we arrive at the Quality of Life issues in the article. This is
where blood started shooting out of my eyeballs and my mouth started to
foam: "... while preventing and stopping crime is the top priority for
the officers, mainly it is quality of life issues that they're
responding to on a regular basis, such as loud parties and unregistered
dogs." The dog issue is apparently mitigated because the blue
registration tags are clearly visible, "eliminating the need to stop all
dog owners as they walk through the grounds." Well, practically every
time I'm out around the grounds I see unregistered dogs, so something is
wrong. Perhaps "boots on the ground," particularly at points around the
perimeters of PCVST where non-residents enter with their dogs to use
the grounds as a toilet would be prudent. This advice has been given
repeatedly, but never acted upon. I've no idea why.

Tenants who have to suffer from noisy neighbors and late-night partying
may find great comfort that "McClellan himself will sometimes show up to
the offending apartment with a member of the property's legal team when
a noise issue is particularly serious and persisting." In other cases, I
suppose, you are out of luck. (BTW, has anyone seen McClellan turn up
in noise situations? I would assume this would be a very rare
occurrence.)

The article continues to proclaim the advantages of all the security
cameras about the complex (for which every resident is paying a MCI),
but doesn't address one crucial question: Have these security cameras
and their monitoring ever stopped a crime in progress? The answer
seems to be, yes, maybe, perhaps, but maybe not, depends on the crime.
I'd like to see the real figures, which one day should be asked of
McClellan. My hunch is that the cameras around this complex have stopped
very few crimes in progress. It's only after the fact, as evidence,
that they can be important. (Which is why there is need of--boots on the
ground.)

Probably the only good thing about the security monitoring system
changing location and being so out in the open to passersby view is that
now, unlike previously, the officers who staff the monitors won't be
tempted to zero in on hot-babe sunbathers on the Oval or check out
Craig's List.

In other places the article stresses that the welcome mat is open to
residents to visit the new office and talk to the officers. I like this a
lot. I wouldn't mind sharing some tea and biscuits with Chief Bill
McClellan, who, as I learned in the article, was once commanding officer
of the 71st Precinct in Crown Heights, an area that happens to be my
old neighborhood. In between sips of Lipton Tea, I'd ask him, once
again, why some banned dog breeds I see are actually registered PCVST dogs. I have a feeling I'd get the same non-answer as I did when I first asked him that question.

-----------

Update Wednesday afternoon, though not as serious, obviously. This just goes to show how rules are enforced around here. Remember, April 30, 2016--after that no lanyard, you will be asked by PS to leave the area.

----------------------------Thursday, early evening: I'm going to post Rick Hayduk's current response to the incident that happened a few days ago. Thanks to Edmund for posting this on the TA Facebook. Portions of this should appear in this week's T&V:

Dear Resident,

In the aftermath of the sexual assault that occurred on Sunday, StuyTown Property Services has been following social media posts whereas comments are being made concerning resident safety.

Before addressing, SPS would like all to know that our thoughts continue to be with the victim; in all the dialogue over the past few days, I trust no one forgets there was an innocent person involved.

That said, this incident occurred on our watch. This is not lost on anyone on our team.

Hence, SPS is taking steps aimed at preventing such acts or similar acts from occurring. One of these steps is an awareness campaign highlighting the tools available to residents should one feel threatened:

Emergency Phone/Video Stations: 36 stanchions illuminated with blue lights on top and connected to Public Safety, located throughout the PCVST neighborhood.

“SECURITY” buttons on building intercoms located in vestibules and on the exterior walls of the Terrace (Stuyvesant Town) and Lower Level (Peter Cooper Village) entrances.

Officers (wearing fluorescent vests) patrolling on foot and in cars 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Officer escorts from the Peter Cooper Village security booth on 1st Avenue and 22nd Street. Give this address to cab drivers, Uber drivers, etc. and an officer will escort you to your building. If in Stuyvesant Town, the Command Center located at 2 Stuyvesant Oval is available 24/7.

Put the Public Safety telephone number into your contacts: 212.598.5233.

Another step is an expedited review of the lighting around the PCVST neighborhood. New lights were just installed along the 14th Street corridor but a review of the remaining perimeter lighting (Avenue C in particular) and the interior lighting will be advanced; areas needing improvement will be addressed.

The third step will be SPS working with its security consultants to map out a plan to identify where new and additional equipment can be placed to enhance coverage. A considerable number of cameras and related equipment have been introduced into the PCVST Public Safety department over the past 10 years, but even with today’s surveillance configuration, coverage can still be increased. Sunday morning’s assault was not fully visible by the cameras.

Lastly, SPS will offer complimentary self-defense courses to any resident interested in learning how to ward off an attack. Even as we work to make our neighborhood safer, such skills can benefit someone anywhere one goes. Information on these courses will be distributed next week along with details on location, class size, and sign-ups.

The safety and well-being of PCVST’s residents remains our top priority. We will work tirelessly to keep every resident safe.

209 comments:

I would be willing to guess that the security cameras have captured a total of 0 ZERO crimes as they were happening. If this woman struggled for 10+ minutes at an hour where foot traffic is minimal and an assault should have caught the eye of the officer on duty, I can guarantee that they have never caught a single incident live. And if they did, you better bet your bottom dollar that Blackstone would make sure we all heard about how great our security and the cameras are. I can only imagine the email, text messages, flyers in elevators and lobbies, maybe even a ticker tape parade.

Ten Minutes. Ten Minutes! The Town & Village press release journalism does a disservice to the community. It is reckless and downright dangerous and gives journalism a bad name when real estate developers control the press. StuyTown went from being the safest place where you could leave the dangerous streets of NYC behind as you came home, to being more dangerous than the city streets. If there is a lawsuit, the New York State Dorm Authority is responsible for this as much as the security company who installed and runs it and the property owner who runs a New York State Dorm Authority operation in mixed-use commercial hotel & residential StuyTown making nobody safe and secure in any building lobby.

I have been living here a while. Not as long as some but longer than probably half at the turnover rate. When I moved in MetLife still owned the property. I don't remember the exact statistics, but back then I believe PCVST had over 70% of the population of the police precinct and only 3% of the crime. I doubt that can be said today.

If you would stop renting to these students, which are ALL over the place, this probably would never had happened. If you were a Parent who lived here, would you have let your daughter walked home at 5:30 in the morning, AND alone? This is what you are going to attract. Case closed.

Again, I continue to wait on an email from Rick as a follow-up to the incident, and what he plans to do with our inept security force that missed this. This is not an issue with the cameras, it's an issue with the officers in charge of monitoring the cameras.

The NYPD 13th precinct is a disappointment. Kudos from the 13th precinct NYPD to StuyTown for this clear and obvious failure is a big let down. The officers we know at the 13th are probably as disappointed as we are.

Is the tenant association as big and powerful as they say on their website?

If 1PP supports the 13th precinct in this view then the corruption goes all the way to the top. If 1PP denounces the 13th precinct kudos and demands for an investigation of the StuyTown security then the corruption is within the 13th precinct and should be cured by 1PP fast.

It is the tenant association's job to have already sent a communication to 1PP that the community is alarmed by our precinct giving kudos when an investigation on this security failure is called for. Did the tenant association do that?

The tenant association's job is not to release press statements to the public or tenants and it is not to tell us to call management when we call the tenant association with problems and ask them to use the power they say they have to get management to cure the problems in StuyTown.

Do they have the power they say they have or not? Do they use it for all tenants equally, new and older tenants, or just for the ones who opted into their delayed condo plans?

The tenant association's job is to protect tenants in situations just like this one. Anything less than a letter to the NYPD Commissioner O'Neill demanding an honest investigation into this security failure followed by firing the responsible security personnel on duty at the time and those that made the security policy & practices that led to these fails and demanding at least reprimands for the 13th precinct for giving "kudos" to spin a failure into a false success.

Hey tenant association, use the power you say you have and do your job instead of doing the developers job. Demand 1PP reprimand and cure the "kudos" situation.

I've said this, but let me say it again: The 13th is not going to help unless it is a serious issue that demands their presence. They refer to Stuy Town's own PS department, which we know is negligent (for whatever reason) in enforcing the rules. This lack of enforcement has been mentioned here and even by a few on the TA Facebook. Ultimately we have to ask who is a fault? We could, and do, blame PS, but the real culprit is the entity that owns this place and makes the rules and enforces them. This is where the Big Fail is. I see "rules" being broken every day, and I see them broken just minutes of going outside. Right now you can go outside and see no PS presence on the Oval. This, a few days after a beating and attempted rape. But you will see bicycles and dog crap. (And I mean "dog crap," like in not even picked up.)

Then you read a blog post dated in 2009, and you realize that these problems have been going on for years, and nothing has been done about them. Just excuses.

To be absolutely fair to the 13th, while the kudos should not there (and I was present at the neighborhood meeting, so I know of what I'm speaking), the 13th can't comment on a case that still is fresh and that the lawyers haven't got a chance to explore. I do know that if you want to get something done, you should do it yourself. The TA is not going to help you. "Go speak to PS or Management" is their advice, over and over again.

Then this is the only private property that is denied NYPD protection because every other private property in NYC gets NYPD protection whether or not they have private security in the premise. Why does Blackstone get special privileges of private policing denying citizens public policing? Why is Stuyvesant Town an exception to the rule that the NYPD has ubiquitous authority and presence on all other commercial and residential properties whether or not they have their own security companies? All citizens are supposed to get NYPD protections whether or not the building has private security or blurred lines of private security run by former NYPD. Who established that residents on Blackstone properties are to be denied NYPD access or protection? Where is that written because it is probably a serious violation of citizen rights.

Most rapists aren't interested in raping elderly women. Even potential rapists know there are a lot of young women residing here now. It's the Willie Sutton rule when asked why he robbed banks; his response "That's where the money is..." Why would a potential rapist like Stuytown? A lot of young women, poorly lit buildings, lack of active patrolling security. Doesn't take a genius to figure this one out!

BTW, I'm guessing that security saw the assault on their monitors in real time but thought it was a new reality show "The Bachelor in the Sty!"

We have no Security. We are in a densely populated housing project/dorm/hotel with many badly lit and secluded spots where a predator can wait and follow a tenant, especially a young female tenant walking alone, with the intent of assaulting the tenant. There are sexual predators and muggers all over New York City and this project is particularly lucrative to them. There have probably been more incidents occur than have actually been reported because some people are ashamed or afraid to report them because they don't want to hear the scoldings and "it was your own fault" that often is dished out by "friends." I was mugged late one night several years ago and had to listen to "friends" telling me I should've this and should've that and shouldn't have been out late and alone blah blah blah. I regretted that I had told anybody because they didn't realize how traumatized I was.

There have also probably been a lot of tenants who have had a narrow escape because of someone happening on the scene unexpectedly and making the predator think twice. What I doubt is that in those instances it was a Public Safety officer who happened on the scene because they are nowhere to be found, especially during the overnight and pre-dawn hours. I don't think they like to go out in the dark! Come to think of it, you don't see many of them during the daylight hours either.

We should be refunded what we have paid in MCI's for Security "upgrading" and that MCI taken off our rent bills permanently OR Management should beef up Public Safety/Security/Campus Cops (whatever they like to call themselves) and make sure they are a real and effective presence on the property. I would prefer the latter.

As for the TA, they are not worth even mentioning. They should just disband and go away.

The more crime that happens, the more reason the city will use to tear down the property. We had little to no crimes before the developers moved in.

This is important to this community and relevant to why the TA and Security are acting in the corporate best interest in one word, Money.

What the City and TA partner Brookfield did to the nonprofit children's boating camp and adult sailing school is what they plan to do with the new ferry dock they are building with the same players turning this family community into a high-end yachting destination.

The residents did not want to lose the nonprofit children's camp and the adult sailing school but City Hall is in bed with the real estate developers who got the contract to build the high-end Farkas Brookfield yachting port and are buying up the companies that build yachts to go along with the profits they make from their yachting ports including the City Council and TA 20th street high end yacht port / ferry dock.

Our trust for the current Mayor is all gone. Regrettably, this is who and what the TA got us into business with:

Brookfield pitted against popular yacht school owner in marina battleDeveloper wants to bring in high-end operator to run Battery Park City facility

"Again, I continue to wait on an email from Rick as a follow-up to the incident, and what he plans to do with our inept security force that missed this. This is not an issue with the cameras, it's an issue with the officers in charge of monitoring the cameras."

Don't hold your breath waiting for a follow-up email from Rick on this incident. The next email you will get from Rick will be about the new Spring plantings because nothing bad happens in his Shangri La version of the Sty.

9:41Great post, but it contains too many words and questions for the TA to bother reading. They need something like this:

Tenant #1 - why is it that the TA seems so inept?TA - You should contact management or PS.Tenant #2 - did you not hear their question?TA - Management or PS would be better suited to answer your question.

"The 13th is not going to help unless it is a serious issue that demands their presence."

Are you sure because that sounds like a Civil Rights lawsuit in the making and may be contributing to serious crimes like the one at 628. All citizens have right to access police protection for all crimes big and small. The police do not get to pick and chose based on whether Blackstone or any property owner has a private security office even when that private security office is run by a former NYPD. All tenants, student,s hotel guests, and permanent residents have a right to use the police for protection from all crimes big and small. It sounds like the 13th precinct is due for a realignment of personnel and priorities.

There is no law that says tenants have to use the StuyTown officers but there are laws that say tenants have rights to use the police department and that tenants cannot be denied that right by either the police department or the property owner. Tenants cannot be denied police protection based on a determination of the level of seriousness or based on a relationship between property owner and police or the politicians. Do parents of students know "The 13th is not going to help unless it is a serious issue that demands their presence." because something like that belongs in the rhetoric before a parent sends their child to stay in these make-shift dorms where less serious crimes as noisy late parties lead to more serious crimes like underage drinking and 5:00 A.M. rapes and attempted murder.

It is a disgrace that crime is way up in PCV and ST. If that is due to the NYPD being hands off then include the NYPD in the lawsuits.

I asked about the ten minutes of sexual assault and I was told we have too many cameras to watch! Yes someone said that out loud. When I asked management, they say they have no answers. Ten minutes of sexual assault in a lobby with camera. No excuse st all why this crime or any crime in not only the grounds but the LOBBY has been stopped by Stuyvesant town security. Rick wrote a letter to us after the last attack in June he was beefing up security. They need to step up actually spend money and make this place safer. No excuses.

All they care about is money! They put signs up everywhere and treat us like children but they won't protect us. The signs makes this place look so tacky. More importantly lights have been out for months and the new solar cheap lights don't do anything. Please tell me Rick how you improved security. Maybe you should tell that poor sweet girl whose life is changed forever what your lack or care and concern has done.

You will never get a follow-up e-mail concerning this serious breach of security. It will continue to be inept. I have never, and I mean never seen a PS officer around the property after dark and I come after dark quite often. Blackstone gets away with this because we have a useless TA which cozies up to management.

Not to trivialize the matter but sexual assault is as old as our species and will be with us til they drop the nuclesr bombs. Given our density and population, thankfully, its still a pretty rare occurence around here.

Yeah, I'm waiting for the follow-up communication from Rick & Co., too. Do they really think that if they just keep quiet, everyone will just forget about it?

I mean, holy shit, this was a 10 minute episode that happened RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA! What the hell was going on there in the so-called command center? What good are cameras if no one's looking at them? To provide NYPD with photos of the perps, after the fact?

And what's the TA's response to this complete failure? They ought to be handing out press clippings about this act in front of the leasing office every day until we get some sort of plan of corrective action from management.

>>I asked about the ten minutes of sexual assault and I was told we have too many cameras to watch

Then the system is a failure and / or the property owner is deliberately cutting operation costs to dangerous levels just like CW did before.

Blackstone Ivanhoe Cambridge Security admitted the system is not working because they say there are too many cameras to watch. The ratio of cameras to officers is a management decision based on cost so they admitted the property owner is inadequately staffing the security office and that resulted in the ten minute rape.

You know, I should be disgusted and pissed to hear that security would say that they didn't catch the act because there are too many televisions to offer, but Stay Town is no longer run like the safe enclave that it was until 2006.

I feel like this place has just become a big production set for the taping of MTV's newest season of The Real World: Stuy Town. Or maybe we are all on the set of The Truman Show. Blackstone and security are behind the monitors and we are just pieces to their show. They need to spice up the show every now and then, so they stage these crimes on the property.

All kidding aside, I don't know what to think anymore. Quite honestly, Rick seems to be a property general manager that is competent and interested in what he does, which makes this all the more worrisome. I feel like the higher ups at Blackstone must be stonewalling him, forcing him to keep the status quo with everything other than signage. Tons of signage for all!!

Another Town & Village PR article that seems dubious is the Blackstone opening lottery one. All the NYCHA projects opened a lottery so why not just say the NYCHA lotteries are open? It made it look as if Blackstone did something individually when really they are following all the NYCHA property's housing lottery protocol.

As far as waiting for statements on this ten minute rape from the TA, Blackstone and Councilman we can just call their PR firm to see if they wrote the statement yet seeing as they all three use the same City Hall PR firm for all their press / tenant statements and communications.

>>Quite honestly, Rick seems to be a property general manager that is competent and interested in what he does<<

I had a change of heart about Rick. It's been a year already that he is at the helm (?) and I see bs from him, though, admittedly he presents himself as a nice guy. This place is all about excuses, including Rick. What some disparaging people say appears to be true: it's all about the money. Walking around this complex, I can't disagree.

I agree with you ST reporter about Rick. Some of my friends worship the ground he walks on because he answers their e-mails right away. What people don't get is that the reason that they have to keep e-mailing him runs deep, with the demo that Blackstone is renting to despite their denials about renting to students, air bnb, and city subsidized. Rick is the cover-up guy and at this point under his management the property is looking worse and worse.

Let's get rid of the rent a cop and get police in Stuy town. Camera are all smoke and mirrors. I have called management many many times to ask the questions. Who was watching the cameras? One said, well they have so many camera to watch it is impossible to have one person do that. Another said , I don't know. Another said, "I am not the person to talk to" and couldn't tell me who to talk to. I hear how save this place use to be. Security booths were always full. I have never seen anyone in a security booth.

Doesn't City Hall, Blackstone and the "TA" all use the Berlin Rosen PR firm? Let's face it: WE HAVE NO TENANTS' ASSOCIATION AT PCVST. We used to have one and it was reasonably good, but it must be remembered that at this time WE HAVE NO TENANTS' ASSOCIATION. The same people may still use the same name of their group, but IT IS NOT A TENANTS' ASSOCIATION. I don't really know what it is, but I know what it isn't. WE HAVE NO TENANTS' ASSOCIATION.

The "TA" facebook page is just for kibitzing and swapping narratives about this and that, but no serious issues are discussed and nobody DARE say a negative word about Management, the "TA" or - God Forbid - the GLORIOUS AND SAINTLY DAN GARODNICK!!! That is anathema and can lead to banishment from that hallowed page! WE HAVE NO TENANTS' ASSOCIATION AT PCVST! Don't ever think otherwise because you are allowing yourself to be misled and lied to.

The cameras are used to make sure no one is subletting. I guess money is more important that someone being sexuallt assaulted

February 23, 2017 at 10:46 AM

That is to say, no one except for Blackstone and Ivanhoe Cambridge are subletting for a cut. There is a lot of subletting. There is a "foundation" leasing an apartment near us that has a revolving door of "guests" and as they say the property is for "tenants and their guests".

There is no excuse for having a security surveillance system that does not prioritize cameras that have continuous motion on them after a certain amount of time. That camera viewing the assault should have brought ITSELF up on the monitor wall after a minute. It's a bogus answer to claim there are too many cameras to monitor. You have a system that prioritizes viewing, and while that's going on, you can browse all the rest of the cams.

This is a security system as designed by children. Management should be acting professionally to get this system working properly. It's outrageous that someone should have been victimized this brutally.

I like to think of this property along the lines of my once beloved NY Knicks. Things have been getting worse and worse by the day at the Sty over the past decade, just like it has been for the Knicks. Blackstone, like James Dolan, are currently the worst owners in their respected industries. Rick is like Phil Jackson, merely a puppet.

The main difference is that Phil Jackson is a legend at what he does, Rick, not so much. There is no way to compare a 55+ community in Boca with one of the biggest, most valuable, and most historic residential properties in one of the largest cities in the world. It would be like Phil Jackson coaching middle school girls basketball and going straight to the Bulls in the 90's.

Rick is in over his head, and all he can do at this point is go forward with what Blackstone wants and at the same time make himself look good by answering emails. I do think customer service has gotten better, but it needs to be with how crappy everything else is around here.

"The "TA" facebook page is just for kibitzing and swapping narratives about this and that, but no serious issues are discussed and nobody DARE say a negative word about Management, the "TA" or - God Forbid - the GLORIOUS AND SAINTLY DAN GARODNICK!

I've already printed out hundreds and my son, who bicycles all over town, is going to leave them on light poles everywhere. I take the subway every day and will surreptitiously drop a few in each car. People deserve to know what this place is really like, especially if they are thinking of letting their young daughters stay here while in college. It may have been converted into a dorm, but it is not as safe as a dorm should be. In fact, it's not safe for anybody. There is no Public Safety presence anywhere, except where they congregate to smoke and chat. They look like a bunch of old, fat guys who wouldn't be capable of doing much if they did encounter a dangerous situation. They need to get rid of the idiot at the top and hire some young, strong well-trained guys. That is something I wouldn't mind paying an MCI for. As it is, we got an MCI for cameras that either don't work or are not watched as well as a total diminution in "live" security.

This morning at 9:45, I was walking back to my building from Starbucks on 23rd and 1st. I pass security vehicle #9 parked a little way down from Gracefully on 23rd, and the security officer in the van was playing on his phone. 10:10, I head out to work and who is in the same spot, still on their phone? That's right, the officer in vehicle #9.

I don't care if it's 10am, 8pm, or 2am… these officers should be doing something other than playing on their phones. The 25,000 tenants in this place are used to this from security, but they can't even make themselves look vigilant just after a vicious attack on the property??

Here's a novel idea, since the officers are sitting in their cars all night, which are usually right next to each other for them to chat or they are on their phone, how about small television screens are installed in the cars and they can be hooked up to the cameras in the vicinity they are in. If they are on 23rd and C, the screen will rotate through the cameras in their area. If they move, so do the camera rotations. This gives them something to do, rather than the nothing that they are used to doing.

It is the responsibility of Blackstone, Rick and PS to maintain law and order and enforce the rules. It is not the responsibility of the tenants. We should go about our lives knowing that these things (security, enforcement of the "rules") are being taken care of by people who are PAID to take care of these things. Admittedly, Blackstone, Rick and PS have abrogated their responsibility, and that is where the problems stem from.

Let me start my comment by stating that I am in a true RS apartment, and I was born and raised here, and my parents were among the first tenants to move into this place. This has been my home for over 50 years, and like my parents raised me here, I also raised my child here.

I love the idea that people anonymously place printouts of the T&V article wherever they see fit. I think the anonymous factor is huge, because there are many people that are afraid to speak out because they think Blackstone will come after them harder in order to oust them from their apartment. Personally, I could really care less about what Blackstone thinks about me, but why mess things up. My daughter is set to LEGALLY take over my apartment by Right of Succession in a few months, and I don't want to make the process more burdensome because they have some vendetta against me because of a blog post.

People need to get out there and get the word out, even if it is anonymous. Once the ROS is complete, you better believe that I will have a few non-anonymous words for Management, Dan Garodnick, and our completely inept TA.

I guess we all need to carry mace now. Especially women, but men can be in danger too, especially the vulnerable, such as the very young and very elderly. Handicapped people are also very vulnerable. Maybe they should get someone from the 13th Pct to hold a workshop at the Community Center and talk to tenants about how to protect themselves, given the increase in crimes of opportunity and the stark reduction in live bodies in the Security dept. They could teach us about the pros and cons of carrying mace. I do believe that mace is legal in New York.

"The cameras are used to make sure no one is subletting. I guess money is more important that someone being sexuallt assaulted"

Why would they care about who is subletting? They let anything and anyone live here now, so as long as there is a rent-paying body in the apartment I don't think they care. UNLESS, of course, the tenant who is subletting is an older tenant with a real rent-stabilized apartment! Now THAT would be someone they would keep an eye on, but I don't think there are enough of the old-timers left now and those who are still here wouldn't be that dumb as to risk losing their homes. I think those people love their homes and live in them themselves and are not interested in subletting.

3:10 and 3:44 - Respectfully, I'm not sure what good posting press clippings on lampposts in Chelsea or Tribeca would do. The place to do that is near the Leasing Office. If you can scare off potential renters, you can hit 'em where it hurts the most - in the pocketbook.

Not that this isn't going to cost Blackstone plenty - you can be sure this young victim's phone is ringing off the hook. It's a multi-million dollar slam dunk lawsuit - this took place over a period of ten minutes in full view of their "award winning" security system, and went completely unnoticed.

Don't you think Mom and Dad oughta know that before pulling out the checkbook and co-signing?

There's been an update from Rick (thank you, Edmund) that was posted on the TA Facebook. I have to admit that I started not reading correctly when an "awareness program" for residents was one of the first things mentioned. This will be posted here, but I don't have the inclination right now. Too pissed off.

Thanks Edmund for posting on Facebook. I've been here too long to believe anything in that email from Rick. It's a bunch of fluff to pacify the masses until they can just go back to doing nothing.

Seriously, security consultants? How about more actual security officers that can prevent crime? Like someone said, security needs a complete overhaul with younger officers that give a damn in terms of protecting the tenants. The old guard is set in their ways, so any changes Rick makes will likely be met with resistance. Keep your eyes posted on them for a while...

I live at 626 which connects to 628. The 'M' entrance where the attack occurred is up on a hill and not visible from the street. It's a good place to attack someone. During late or early morning hours, I would recommend entering on the 'T' side of 628 which is a street-level entrance and has more visibility to outsiders.

Also there are more places to hide just outside the entrance on the 'M' side. I don't know if this perp was already in the vestibule or was hiding outside waiting for his victim. In any event it's easier to be victimized at that entrance.

As I said in a previous post keep your senses open at all times and stay aware. Nobody can sneak up behind me because I would hear them which is why I said to take your earbuds out and put your phone away when entering your building.

Unless you're highly trained in martial arts taking a few self-defense courses is almost useless. If it increases your awareness great but if you think you can take on an attacker who might be bigger/stronger and has more adrenaline than you during an attack you are mistaken.

The area of the incident is Avenue C so why not have escort security officers at the booths in Stuyvesant Town too like the one on 14th street loop or the booth on Avenue C and 14th? Why just the one booth that is nowhere near the problem areas and then the long walk home? It would be good to have a security escort closer to 14th and closer to C.

Entered PCV at 23rd and First to head to my apartment on 16th and C, and did not encounter or see a single security officer or even a van in PCV. Just a lot of darkness. Crossed at 20th near C, and headed up to the completely desolate Playground 3 where the attack happened. Still not a guard to be seen. Got home safely, thankfully, but Rick, where are those guards in vests that you promised?

What I did encounter were a lot of young ladies heading out in hardly anything, and it has me very worried for them!

SPS will offer free (yes, FREE!!) self defense courses (!) so you'll know JUST what to do (heh, heh) if some scumbag comes at you in that unfortunate corner of the foyer that's only "partly visible" to our ever vigilant Security Professionals!

"2/20/2017They preach how safe it is in here, security people, cameras etc. Please explain how two nights ago a 22yr old woman gets sexually attacked for ten minutes in the lobby of her building! Who was watching the security tapes? What is the point of cameras if no one is watching them and you can get sexually attacked for TEN minutes!!!! Also outdoor lights are out everywhere. If Maintenece is so on top of things shouldn't outdoor lights actually work. Like behind the building of 281 Ave C. The light has been out for weeks! They got new solar lights that don't work at all. Step it up Stuyvesant town."

Not simply going viral. Going around the fucking globe. This is an overpriced, nasty, dangerous slum and it trades on a name and reputation that belonged to a bygone era. The people from that era have either died or been driven out by the greedy, parsimonious fetid lowlives who are our landlord and the filth that passes for our "elected representatives." Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town are not what you will find on Google. They are dirty, nasty dangerous dorms and "temporary accommodations." Don't be fooled by the PR. They are liars of the very worst kind.

Was not impressed by Rick's e-mail. It is a response to a lot of negative publicity. The reference to help call spots would not have helped the victim of this crime. She was probably blindsided as she went into the building. Came home after dark tonight and not a PS officer in sight except pulling up in 2 cars near headquarters. The self-defense comment was ridiculous. I have had this training from my job, but do not think I could overpower a strong male. I agree that PS is a sorry lot, always smoking and talking in front of headquarters. I do believe that the e-mail was an attempt to pacify people and ease the negative PR coming from this. If they keep renting to lowlifes without screening tenants we will never be safe here. I will be on the lookout for PS officers at night.

Negative publicity over this incident may hurt the bread and butter rental market to students. Thus a reason for Rick's response. If that dorm feed is cut off, Blackstone will have to deal with many more empty apartments. I believe that it is up to 35,000 or 40,000 by now.

They need to get rid of "Security" from the top down and bring in professionals who know what they are doing and are equipped to handle such a situation. McLellan has friends in "high places" and that is why the 13th Precinct doesn't get involved in any of the mayhem that takes place here and make it a waste of time reporting any crime that takes place on the property. I remember when it was said that Adam Rose (former property manager) had special connections to the 13th Precinct and made sure that nothing that happened her was dealt with appropriately. That's what I heard, but don't know how true it is. What I do know is that we have had little to no Security since CW and then Blackstone took over. All those guys do is stare at their phones, chat among themselves and sit in huddles either outside their "headquarters" or in parked cars. It is very, very rare that you see one on foot on the property.

They don't even look like they are up to the job. They are scruffy, fat old guys who puff on cigarets and chortle together. We used to have a very on-the-ball Security presence who were young, able-bodied guys who really came across as professionals and would show up in an instant when something was going down. What happened? Does Management think our lives are not worth protecting in this massive complex of all sorts of characters? They don't even respond (from what I've heard) if there is a situation going on in a building, whether it be a fight, domestic abuse or somebody partying in the wee small hours. They are FUCKING USELESS and maybe they are only paid enough to be no more than FUCKING USELESS.

I'm just disgusted and would recommend that nobody move into this dump at this point in time because it is not safe, not clean and very overrated and overpriced.

Like 10:06, I too am wondering what is wrong with those ladies on Facebook. Their reactions to an email like this are just uncalled for. If the victim was someone they knew, I can guarantee they would not be all cheery right now.

I never ever see anyone at night, no security at all!!! Why does Rick keep mentioning the useless I watched cameras? And to date say the entire attack wasn't visible. How much do you need to see to respond. It was a half naked man and woman fightingbe being assaulted. What did the security think they saw? Oh yeah doesn't matter because they don't watch the monitors anyways. Rickis trying to put ALL the blame on the tenants. When will he actually hire people who do anything?

Stolen packages, dog crap all over the place, pot smell everywhere you go, students galore, inept Resident Service Reps, loud parties every weekend, no floor carpeting above residents, no heat,........ Why would anyone want to live here. I hate it here. The biggest mistake I EVER made. AND, Rick isn't doing a damm thing about it!

I also agree with 10:06. The comments about being impressed with Rick's e-mail on the TA site are ridiculous. The e-mail was an attempt to alleviate the bad publicity associated with this incident and to prevent this negative publicity from affecting dorm rentals. By now, residents should be on to Blackstone's PR techniques.

By all of their their actions and inaction, clearly the answer to your question is "Yes" they all, the politicians and developers, think our lives are not worth protecting. That includes the politicians in "high places" that are "McClellan's friends".

My take is that the new message is an embarrassment. I hope the lady in question sues for all it's worth (a potential rape and a life). I'm still disgusted, and I see no genuine change. When I see a change, aside from an empty PS vehicle parked near the scene of the crime (undoubtedly meant as a "deterrent") then I will report it.

I have not gone up to playground 3 since the attack, only because I really have no reason to walk down that way unless I am brining my dog (registered dog!) out for a long walk. With that being said, if they are actually putting a permanent security car and personnel up there, Rick and McClellan must be much dumber than I thought. First off, the guy behind this attack is behind bars, and even if he weren't, would he really go back to the scene of the crime? It is unfortunate, but at this time every building on this property is equally vulnerable to a tenant being attacked. They need to protect all tenants of this property, not just put up a facade that they are protecting the tenants of 628.

And are the tenants of 628 more important than the tenants of 280 First Ave or 8 PCR?

Like other have said, this poor woman should sue the crap out of Blackstone, and Rick/Bill McClellan personally. The negligence and penny pinching ways led to her being in a life-threatening situation.

"I'd like to see where this is viral. Is it on ST facebook page ? May have to join"

Of course it's at the TA FB page. All you need is to have a FB account to view the TA FB page, you don't need to "join" the page. SM 101.

It's viral because the story, with various media outlets appears in my Google Alerts in my Gmail folder that I have set up with "Stuyvesant Town”, “Peter Cooper Village”, “Stuy Town”, etc., as triggers, not just the TA FB page.

How many of the 5000 apartments are government housing and where they are is something the community should immediately be made aware of. Which buildings are used by City Hall for government housing concerns our safety.

City Hall must release that information to the public and to this community. You can't just install government housing without also installing proper government housing security which is policed by the current rank and file NYPD and not former NYPD turned peace officers.

Self defense classes instead of armed NYPD police officers is preposterous for government housing. So is marketing this place as luxury living when it is government housing.

Obviously to the developers, lobbyists and incumbent electeds we, successful generations of middle class, are trash to be disposed, pushed out, and have no rights so they can get themselves headlines by replacing us with the now NYCHA mortgaged housing with headlines about how great they are to help house he homeless and no mention of the people they made homeless by aggressively kicking out over half the population.

The hypocrisy Mayor is building a "tale of two cities" with high end luxury condos and low end working class housing, homeless. They push the middle class out of homes to fill with NYCHA homeless. That is a delusional zero sum game they are playing that solves no problems and only creates tens of thousands more problems.

The very thing the Mayor campaigned against right here in Stuyvesant Town he then created in Stuy Town by dividing the last bastion of unified, safe, secure middle class housing into two communities of very high and very low end housing. Although the Mayor's deal is better than the Brookfield TA deal that had 85% high end housing and 5-15% low end pity housing, the disastrous and divisive effect is the same. He looked us in the eye. Now we can only shake our heads at his lies because before him nobody needed pity. We were a successful, healthy, safe middle class enclave.

Today that Mayor meets with the Federal Authorities on his (alleged;) pay to play. If anything less than an indictment comes out of this meeting it will confirm the system is hopelessly, irrevocably rigged.

So much for the TA site. I posted that I have yet to see a PS patrolling the property and was quickly answered by someone who said that he had seen 3 in the last 2 hours. Oh, I see them all right but they are clustered in groups talking and smoking or in cars. Wonder where he lives on the property. Many times they are just going out for food.

>>So much for the TA site. I posted that I have yet to see a PS patrolling the property and was quickly answered by someone who said that he had seen 3 in the last 2 hours.<<

The question is where? Today PS is writing car tickets along the 1st Ave Loop, so there is a least 2, sometimes 3, around that area. I saw two together, but, aside from talking to each other (hi!), they seemed more interested in those cars.

Otherwise, around the Oval, there was none. This morning (not too early, of course) there was the regular guy for a while, but he disappears later on, leaving that place empty.

It is bullshit that PS has significantly upped their presence. Not too many days after the attack, the Oval still has bicycles and dog shit around. Increase presence, my ass.

1. "Will they be touting these self-defense classes as an amenity in the Leasing Office?"

2. "Like many many people are saying on the Stuy Town Reporter blog, can this really be serious? Like Will Ferrell said in Zoolander, “I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!”

How about Rick does the easy thing, hire more (and new/younger) security guards?? Why are they wasting money on a self defense class, which is pointless unless it’s a 10-pack of classes, and security consultants? None of these things would be necessary if there were more guards that actually did their job."

3. "Also, he admitted that the assault was not fully visible to the property’s security cameras. Anyone who skims past this very telling line from Rick misses a major thing, and that is that the cameras did have some visibility to the attack. The statement that it was not FULLY visible means that the review of the tape did show some of the attack, and the officers on duty were asleep at the wheel. This attack falls on their shoulders as well as Bill McClellan and Rick himself.

On another note, Rick’s cheerleader of young mom’s on the TA Facebook page is sickening. They are applauding this email from Rick, but I guarantee if it happened to one of them or someone they knew, they would be up in arms wondering why things were allowed to get this bad and that the email was too little too late. I don’t have blinders on like they do and I can see through the fluff of his email, and there is plenty of it, like the fully visible statement."

The new T&V has pathetically little about the potential rape and murder. Yeah, it does have a front page headline, but you have to turn to the last page to see the small article continued. The paper seems to carry Monday's news. I assume (?) that we will see something more next week. Give the paper time to pow-wow with Management.

Yes, Town and Village appears to also be one with management. No more letters to the editor critical of Blackstone, usually national politics or such. Blackstone has reined the newspaper in as well as the so-called TA.

If this is next weeks announcement for this community there is a bigger problem lurking and it is that the shelter business is the most corrupt, big money industry. Before de Blasio builds his shelters and moves homeless into every community there should have been investigations, audits and clearing out of the corruption. Landlords love the big, unregulated money to be made in homeless housing.

I honestly don't think that homeless people are being housed here. I have never seen any indication of that. I know there are zillions of students and AirbnB "guests," but I've never seen anything to make me think there are homeless people living here. Maybe on the benches, but not in the apartments.

I am tired of the pro-management Rick fan club responding to every criticism on the TA site with "e-mail Rick." Like he is really going to respond positively to renting and security issues which put Blackstone in a negative light. There is definitely an "I love management contingency on that site." Don't know how much longer I can put up with it.

Ordinarily you could take it with a grain of salt but posting positive reviews just after a woman is brutally raped is plain wrong. Here is the company that gives rewords to the students and young moms who are writing the positive reviews

A simple "yes" or "no".... Has the supposed increased presence of PS stopped the bicycles riding around the Oval, has it stopped the dog residue, has it made enforcement of the lanyard rule a fact? Yes or no. Simple.

>>I honestly don't think that homeless people are being housed here. I have never seen any indication of that. I know there are zillions of students and AirbnB "guests," but I've never seen anything to make me think there are homeless people living here. Maybe on the benches, but not in the apartments.<<

Same here. I need facts. You can email them to me if you like. Otherwise....

I don't think that homeless people are being housed here, but I do believe that they are beginning to rent to people who are are not paying much of the market rate rent. This speaks of city collusion. I am quite certain that the people next door to me are not paying that hefty 3500 plus rent.

I hope that 6:42 is not correct, because if their positive posts on this matter were made so that they can redeem reward points, then am continuing to lose faith in humanity. I seriously hope that they just like his email for no other reason than liking it.

>>I don't think that homeless people are being housed here, but I do believe that they are beginning to rent to people who are are not paying much of the market rate rent. This speaks of city collusion. I am quite certain that the people next door to me are not paying that hefty 3500 plus rent.<<

There are programs to stop rent hikes for those who are senior citizens and can't afford higher and higher rents. There is also the new lottery, a small portion of which goes to people with do not have a lot of income, relatively.

Last night I was awakened during the night by sorority sisters loudly singing songs outside my window which was closed. This went on for nearly ten minutes. Another Friday night in the Sty.

As for rewards being given to positive posters on the TA site, they do not need to give rewards. Rick is loved and admired by many, including some of my friends. They e-mail back and forth with him and love the fact that he answers them. This colors their perceptions of the Sty. That is what he is here for and he does a good job of snowing under the residents.

February 25, 2017 at 8:06 AM that is the stereotype, basic job description of all CEO's. As for the rewards to phony reviews those retailers can consider our wallets closed to them. Our family and friends will not shop at those retailers anymore.

On the topic of safety the apartments were designed with safety a top concern which is why apartments have or had metal doors and kitchen doors to contain fires so they do not spread. If there is a fire in the kitchen, it used to be that a closed kitchen door would help contain it while firefighters put out the flames. A lot of those doors are gone. New doors are flammable glass and wood and kitchens are open. In an already densely populated neighborhood, it looks like the FDNY who is a regular at the real estate parties made decisions on renovations and increasing population that will increase revenue while decreasing safety.

If you run afoul of management preferences, you'll see exactly how much Rick is your friend. Dog policy, bike riding on sidewalks, partitioning, student rental/bad behavior and noise issues are the ongoing sticking points. On the day that anyone has problems with one of these areas, get in touch directly with Rick and you'll see exactly how much isn't done for you.

With respect to PS, for over a year now STR and bloggers have decried how little PS does under the new management.

It's a shame that it took a brutal rape attempt to make PS under-performance clear and public. But somehow that's always the way things go. It takes a near crisis to get attention. Now Rick Hayduk tries to step in like the man on the white horse to fix everything...whereas his heedless management style was the root of the problem to begin with.

It is times as this, following a rape, that the dangers of posting misleading reviews are highlighted. Deceptions as misleading reviews are always a danger, but the danger is easier seen in times as this. Thank you STR for repeatedly raising the issue of the unregulated reviews. As poorly regulated as standard PR firms are to be truthful in their statements, these internet companies that promote "reviews in exchange for rewards" are exploiting the already unregulated PR firms pushing corporate interests thanks to lawmakers in the pockets of those corporate interests.

This is seen today, not too long ago on my way to Associated. 2 piles of unpicked dog shit (yes, two), a significant dog-crap smear (dog shit picked up but badly) near the southern benches, one woman with a dog inside the Oval fountain area (yes, inside, half-way too). Rick and PS you are doing a wonderful job!

On my trip around the oval out to 20th St. today I viewed about 3 oversized dogs and no less than 8 rolling suitcase/phone air bnbers. Wow, the Sty is becoming a tourist mecca. I did not see any PS officers either.

"It's a shame that it took a brutal rape attempt to make PS under-performance clear and public. But somehow that's always the way things go. It takes a near crisis to get attention. Now Rick Hayduk tries to step in like the man on the white horse to fix everything...whereas his heedless management style was the root of the problem to begin with."

Very, very true.

True also about the removal of the kitchen doors and the use of flimsy, flammable materials in the renovated apartments. This place is a major tragedy waiting to happen.

"A number of local dog owners, both resident and non-resident, noted they’ve been getting stopped lately with officers asking if they’re residents of the property and if their pooches are registered...

"... McClellan however said the rules are here to stay and part of the reason people are being stopped is to let residents know that they need to get their pets registered. Once pets are registered, the owners are given information about the related policies, including a 50-pound weight limit. Under Tishman Speyer, the policy allowed for one or two dogs with a weight limit of 80 pounds.

“It’s been four years since this dog policy, and we’re trying to keep the property for the enjoyment of our residents and not just people walking through,” said McClellan."

I am the poster that posted about the ladies on the TA Facebook page, and I want to take a second to apologize to them for one thing, and that is for using their names. I could have gotten my point across without including their names, and for that I was wrong.

With that being said, I do not back down from what I said. This incident was not one where anyone should be saying they are impressed with the response of management, when management should have never let things get to the point where incident and assaults like this are continuing to happen.

I am fairly optimistic about the future of security, but it's a major wait and see in my opinion. Actions speak louder then emails!

People who post fake reviews for money should be prosecuted under the "Truth in Advertising" laws, and so should those entities that pay them to lie. That is a disgusting and dangerous practice and when people are duped by these false reviews and then suffer the consequences of moving into a place they think is safe, clean, etc., the onus should be on the fake review charlatans to make good on anything those who are duped may suffer. Maybe those perfidious assholes will end up having to pay for someone's funeral.

I agree that names should not be used on this blog to identify people who posted on the TA site. In line with that statement, common courtesies on that site should extend to posters who are critical of management. I once left the group, because posters were telling me to move if I didn't like living here. Occasionally, there are posters who are very intolerant of residents critical of management. I actually do not believe that they are being rewarded, but just have been snowed under by the PR that Blackstone and Rick promote. The blog is there for the free exchange of ideas and opinions and civility goes a long way.

They really are THAT corrupt and they really do believe this community is stupid.

"Cuomo’s new ethics rules apply to legislators — but not to him

By Aaron Short

February 26, 2017"

Now we know who paid for the 10,000 student.com college dorm bed apartments in PCVST in a big giveaway of millions to the billionaires Tishman & Brookfield construction companies to turn permanent residences into dorm residences and why the Brookfield partnered tenant association never challenged the dorms only focusing on bikinis and pretending to focus on Airbnb (while ignoring all the advertised StuyTown apartments on the Airbnb website from 2010 through 2016!). Now we know why they made the tenants pay for the Dorm Authority required college security.

These guys are a real piece of work.

"Dormitory Authority, a quasi-governmental entity originally established to finance the construction of college dorms. It reviews proposals before disbursing cash."

“The state shouldn’t be running these slush funds in the first place,” he added. “They benefit the political needs of elected officials more than they serve the public good.”

"rules don’t apply to a secretive treasure trove of borrowed money — the state Dormitory Authority’s State and Municipal Facilities Program (SAM).

The purpose of the pork stash has broadened since 2014, when Cuomo added the $385 million SAM appropriation to the budget to finance government buildings and school construction.

The honey pot has grown to $1.5 billion and now covers a range of “economic development projects,” including $5 million to help CBS refurbish the Ed Sullivan Theater in Midtown in 2014, and a $25 million grant in 2015 to help build Empire Outlets, a planned $350 million mall next to the proposed New York Wheel on Staten Island.

Watchdogs say the ethics omission raises a red flag.

US Attorney Preet Bharara told state municipal leaders at a Manhattan conference last week to be “wary of slush funds.”

It is not public service when all a politician cares about is making himself look good while he obliterates the constituent's quality of life. More like self-service. There is some seriously questionable stuff going down. No matter how good the data looks, the quality of life of constituents is getting gutted.

Valid tough, even harsh criticism of the TA (and the organization deserves it), that is backed by solid proof is fine by me. Your usual connect the dots by conspiracy by posting of various links does meet any sort of journalist integrity.

I've received two co-ordinated emails about a commentator using the names of these individuals in this forum. The original poster has apologized, so that acquiescing to their requests seems okay. I think these individuals are making too much of their names being mentioned, particularly as they are posting in an open public forum with their FULL NAMES. Or they are just embarrassed by their messages, which is understandable. If not, why not stand up for what you think and believe? I don't understand, but the lesson is that anything you post with your full name in an open forum is available to anyone. Should this blog not mention anyone? Our dear councilperson? Our Manager? The company he represents? PS? The TA? Anyway, the original commentator has withdrawn his/her naming of names, so what I will do, is repost (out of order obviously) the messages, not using names.

Was just over at the TA Facebook page reading the comments about Rick's email. Are A. and L. employed by Blackstone or related to Rick? Aside from the fact that I think it is filled with crap, Rick's response is not something that people should be cheering. This was a necessary and reactive email to an unfortunate incident that showed a glaring flaw in the security of this property.

If I was the victim, I would be sickened by these people's response to Ricks email. If he and his staff were doing their job, she would not have ended up nearly dead. Shame on A. and L. and anyone else lauding Rick.

"Was just over at the TA Facebook page reading the comments about Rick's email. Are A. and L. employed by Blackstone or related to Rick? Aside from the fact that I think it is filled with crap, Rick's response is not something that people should be cheering. This was a necessary and reactive email to an unfortunate incident that showed a glaring flaw in the security of this property.

If I was the victim, I would be sickened by these people's response to Ricks email. If he and his staff were doing their job, she would not have ended up nearly dead. Shame on A. and L. and anyone else lauding Rick."

Those two and a couple more always come across as shills for management. They probably aren't, but are paying through the nose for living here and feel it their duty (to themselves) to act as though they were getting their money's worth. If they were assaulted for ten minutes with no response from "Security", you can bet your life that they would be screaming bloody murder loud enough for the whole world to hear and they would be suing the living daylights out of Blackstone. They hate it when anybody complains about the dump because it makes them feel so stupid for spending their money on such a place. I think they resent the longtime tenants who pay much less than they do because they always seem to have something snotty to say to any comment from them. I don't know, but they are probably the same group of idiots who berate the older folks who feed the squirrels because they heard from someone who heard from someone else that their kid was eaten by a squirrel.

STR, why are you reposting inflammatory posts, such as the one at 11:44 PM? It serves no purpose except to give certain members of the TA a reason to call this blog a "cesspool." Sure there are some dimwits over on the TA fb page, but mostly they are just nice people. I don't think it's right to criticize people who post on that fb page and "out" their names over here and in this age of the internet once your name is mentioned it stays forever if somebody says something nasty about you and posts your full name and does it anonymously. Maybe you should be a little more circumspect about what posts you let through. Just a suggestion.

Written by one of the individuals on the TA Facebook page, in which she REPEATS the full name of the other individual:

>>I don't even care if you resubmit the same comment making fun of me with just my first name. But, now when I google my name your comment, hiding behind an anonymous moniker comes up trashing my full name. Just delete it and resubmit it to the blog making fun of me only under my first name.<<

I would not call some of the posters on the TA blog "nice people". As a subject of their nastiness and spite for criticizing management, I know. They are so mesmerized by Rick that they jump on anyone with different viewpoints. Let's hope that this latest issue over posting names cools them down and leads to a more open and civil sharing of opinions on that site.

Control freaks who don't know how an internet works. Yeah, you can go to a closed site that shares your opinion and post away. But in the open area of the internet (generally, unless you may be profane and crazy), you have to live and let live with different opinions. You are not in charge.

That is a pretty "amazing" response to Rick's email. I do think I'm living in a Bizarro world at times. I could decimate Rick's response if wanted to, amazing line by amazing line. I'm still angry.... Even he, if his head is on right, has to be amazed by this response and the one or two that follow the same route.

And...as long as we are trying to influence what is written on another blog, may I suggest that these individuals delete their own responses to Rick's email? It is, after all, an open forum in which anyone, including a prospective employer, can find those messages and the full name of the individuals who commented on this email.

SPS responded to the sexual assault/attempted murder Yelp review. Here is a copy and paste from Yelp:

Notice that the positive talking point is that an arrest was made AFTER the assault. No mentions of the fact that while the assault was in progress for 10 minutes, no officers were dispatched to STOP the crime. They have already admitted that a portion of the crime in real-time was actually visible at the Oval Command Center on their monitors. That’s what I call a very selective talking point in defense of their much promoted, MCI approved, so called state of the art, digital video surveillance system. This also shows that they are very sensitive to the impact of social media and to this blog as well.

STR, on another more pressing issue, our diminutive, vile, two-faced, weasel of a councilman, Illegal Third-term Danny Boy Garodnick, is "holding" an informational meeting TONITE at 7:30PM at the school on East 21st Street.This info appeared in the Stuy Town propaganda sheet which was emailed to me.What a shame!Little Dan no doubt will be patting himself on the back how he "saved" affordable housing.MAKES ME WANT TO PUKE.Your thoughts?

They preach how safe it is in here, security people, cameras etc. Please explain how two nights ago a 22yr old woman gets sexually attacked for ten minutes in the lobby of her building! Who was watching the security tapes? What is the point of cameras if no one is watching them and you can get sexually attacked for TEN minutes!!!! Also outdoor lights are out everywhere. If Maintenece is so on top of things shouldn't outdoor lights actually work. Like behind the building of 281 Ave C. The light has been out for weeks! They got new solar lights that don't work at all. Step it up Stuyvesant town.

Was this review …?

Useful 6 Funny Cool Peter W.Comment from Peter W. of StuyTown Apartments Business Manager2/27/2017 Dear XXXX (FYI, I took out the name)

we were clearly very dismayed that such an attack took place in StuyTown. By now you may have heard that the attacker was arrested largely due to the surveillance materials we were able to supply to the NYPD. You should also have received an e-mail from us detailing the available security features of StuyTown along with a list of enhancements we will be introducing in the near future.

You better believe that Susan will be right next to Dan at this impromptu meeting tonight. And as one previous poster mentioned, you better believe that Dan will be letting us all know that he saved affordable housing with this $3,000/month lottery. I hear the grass is starting to grow in the oval, so I would rather waste my time watching that happen than watching this meeting meant to praise themselves yet again.

I wonder if this has anything to do with Dan being called out on the T&V blog for not giving out any information about this.

“If this succeeds,” said Waters, “there will never be a lessening of this tax exemption, because it will be the state deciding how to spend the city’s money, and they can get to be friends with real estate without it costing them anything. There won’t be any effective political control over this enormous tax subsidy—ever.”

If you were strolling down the street in the wee hours of the night, and "partially" saw a naked young woman on the floor of a vestibule being held in a chokehold, would you think this is something you might want to take a second look at, or just shrug it off and keep walking?

Atomic Man, I would no doubt call the cops and make a ruckus to scare off the attacker. However, if I were sitting in a nice warm control room watching a bank of screens (in between reading my newspaper or talking on my phone) and it meant getting off my fat ass and leaving my burger and fries to get cold, then you already know the answer to that.

Does anyone know why the Tenant Association has incorporated a Foundation and who regulates the money? Is it a business corporation or a Tenant Association and what is the Foundation for? Can new tenants join or is it only open to those in the original Brookfield Partnership or is there a new Partnership? Is it a legitimate Charity or a legitimate group of potential condo buyers and how do new tenants join?

STPCV TENANTS' ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION, INC. is an entity registered at NEW YORK county with company number 4042179. LAW OFFICES OF KEVIN J. FARRELLY located at the address 270 Madison Ave., Ste. 1500 New York, New York, 10016. Company is incorporated on December 25, 2010. Current status of the company is active.

Organization description:

STPCV TENANTS ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION INC has not provided an expanded description of their organization

Keep on keeping on, STR. Don't let the whiners and criticizers put you off. You are the only one, and I mean the ONLY one, who gives us a voice in this ridiculous place. The TA certainly doesn't tolerate dissent when it comes to singing the praises of itself, Goradnick and Management. And why would they? They are all in bed together! Disgusting! They have their little shills and attack dogs at the ready if anyone dissents from the Party Line.

They are still chopping apartments with wall partitions. Per the DOB January 2017 at 276 First 3D Avenue Rick Hayduk installed wall partitions and a door to create an additional room. That property room count on any MCI charges must be adjusted.

As you know, I despise BS.... So a very honest report of what I have seen today. Around lunch time I saw several unpicked clumps of dog shit opposite Oval Study. I figured that PS workers and PS itself would notice the dog shit, it is that obvious. Even the Abigail worker at Oval Study would see it.

Well, no surprise, I guess, but the dog shit is still there, past 4:00 o'clock. Also bikes are going around the Oval, disregarding the visible signs posted at four corners around the Oval. No PS guard around either.

Now, I have seen, on occasion, an increase in a foot patrol by PS at several times. This increase, however, is minimal, but it has to be reported for fairness sake.

Otherwise, it is the same lack of enforcement and absence of PS as before.

I call major BS by Management if they are proclaiming otherwise. I know, I see, and I report what I see. These are facts. And Management, or someone in charge, is BS-ing the public and the residents.

saw two older people today and yesterday lugging luggage and they spoke no english. No one cares. I wanted to take a photo and post it all, video it, but why , what for? no one cares and then i'll get hit with some lawsuit for fucking evasion of fucking privacy shit.

There are a few obvious things that I have seen lately following this attack on both the TA Facebook page and this blog. The first is that regardless of the differing opinions between the moms and the commenters on this blog is that both sides seem to have a dislike of the TA. The moms think that the TA allows people to be bullies on the FB page and I sense that they don't particularly like them for that. Everyone on this blog hates the TA for the obvious reasons that have been posted on here for years. When will the TA wake up and see this?

Oh, and by the way, the TA should know that I went out on my own and fought the recent MCI with a very positive outcome. I am not a lawyer, nor did I use a lawyer, and my outcome was much much better than any outcome the TA got for me in the past when I believed that I needed to use them to fight MCI's. You could be waiting months to years for them to eventually get shot down. I beg of you all to do it yourself - just Google "Fighting Major Capital Improvements in NYC." Everything you need to know is in the links on the first page of results. I can't go into further details because the MCI is still being fought by individual tenants and the TA, but it is all right there. There is one thing I am able to mention that everyone needs to know, and that is that you have to mention that you are not part of the TA's building-wide MCI application. All that it takes is one person in the building to sign the application with the TA and everyone in the building is then part of the fight by the TA. If you are battling the MCI on your own, you do not want to be part of the TA's application, and you need to let the DHCR know this in writing.

6:59 As is the case with any building, with the high turnover you never know how it's going to be. I also live in 2PCR, and I do agree that the building is fairly good, but I did have some loud partying students move in for the January semester. One above and one next door. They are respectful, but can be loud, which is expected of college students. I love it here, I'm just worried that the trend will continue to move towards student housing and not families.

"There is one thing I am able to mention that everyone needs to know, and that is that you have to mention that you are not part of the TA's building-wide MCI application. All that it takes is one person in the building to sign the application with the TA and everyone in the building is then part of the fight by the TA. If you are battling the MCI on your own, you do not want to be part of the TA's application, and you need to let the DHCR know this in writing."

That is VERY interesting! Are you still paying the MCI, btw, or did they suspend it? The TA tries to make everyone sign a blanket "pledge" with a warning that you will reap no benefit if they win and you have not signed their pledge. They're big on pledges!

10:32I wish I could give more info than what I put in my initial post, but I had to sign something stating that I wouldn't advise anyone on the actual process, so I went as far as I could with the mention of the google search and the TA challenge application.

I also can't give specifics on what happened with my individual case, but I can say it is significantly better than any result I ever got from the numerous TA challenges I was a part of.

March 1, 2017 at 8:09 AM"had to sign something stating that I wouldn't advise anyone on the actual process" that sounds like the author of that term in what you signed has "intent" to continue to deceive others. Perhaps a one-page blanket form letter letting DHCR know the TA is not authorized to act on one's behalf could be posted for every resident of StuyTown and Cooper Village to download and send to the DHCR.

FLASH! Museum of Natural History Announces Major Geological Find On Stuyvesant Oval!Museum Director Solomon Schitz called a press conference to proudly announce a major geological find on the Stuyvesant Town Oval walkway.Three huge boulders were discovered by amateur archeologist Rick Limpdik. Alas, upon closer inspection the finds were not rock but sadly turd droppings by a 140-pound Great Dane living illegally in one of the vasty overpriced "affordable" apartments. The owner of the beast slowly sauntered away from the scene of the crime."Clean up? Who me?"Blackstone Management as part of their amenities program said the feces would be offered at the next Sunday Green...err...Brown Market!Bon apetit suckers!

4:42 How about you challenge the MCI on your own and then come back to me with what they had you do. Until then I am just going to assume you are a TA troll trying to deflect the fact that the TA has no bearing on our MCI outcome, and that the almighty TA lawyers are not the only ones that know how challenge MCI's. Maybe they should be more concerned with getting an updated room count for the property so that MCI's are properly distributed?

By the way, what has the TA done for us lately? Attempted assault/rape, silence. Major QOL issues, silence. Continued dormification, silence.

That TA site is a joke. They post articles about crimes committed 2 miles from here, while ignoring the safety issues here in their own backyard. How about fighting for more after dark security and better screening of who lives and comes in here. The TA is a real waste, I am so glad that I stopped paying dues to that inept tool of Blackstone and Garodnick.

Until There Is Silence No More

The Tenants Association and our councilman Dan Garodnick have mysteriously remained silent about a purported incident that occurred on July 12: the mugging by a group of individuals of someone right by Peter Cooper Village, along 20th Street.

The TA is basically done. Tenants can complain, but any action is negligible. The TA is effectively dead.

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"We'll be introducing a new process to identify registered dogs thus enabling Public Safety Officers to clearly approach offending dog owners. The registration will hang from the leash handle; clearly identifying the dog as registered.

"If the dog is not registered by May 1; a summons will be issued at the point of contact. If we learn the dog owner is not a resident, they will be escorted off the property."

Rick Hayduk, CEO and General Manager of PCVST. Letter to Barry Shapiro, February 2016.

STR here: I have been around since the inception of this dog policy and I have NEVER seen anyone escorted out of ST or PCV with their non-lanyard dog. But I have seen, many times, a dog owner from outside, and his/her dog, casually walking through ST or PCV.

THINKING of Renting in PCVST?

Read Yelp reviews to find out what it's like living here. Please note: All apartments are currently "rent-stabilized" but that doesn't prevent apartments from going up to 4K to 6K a month and even higher. How does this happen? Ask our politicians! Fact: Now less than half of the complex's apartments have the old rents and it's getting worse year by year--or better if you are the Real Estate Board of New York!

The Other Yelp Reviews

Yelp can be tricky and bounce reviews for a variety of reasons, like being a member and posting just one review. Very often, however, these reviews hold important truths about what's being reviewed. READ THESE TOO.

BICYCLES, MOPEDS, SCOOTERS, ETC.

Of course, "private property" but "public access" - whatever that means! And if a part of it is public access, do the rules of the city apply to our roads and sidewalks? Or does anything give because this complex is "private property"? Who comes here in case of a fire in one of our buildings? The Stuy Town Fire Brigade?

Hint: Look both ways if you are in the complex. Look on the ground, too!

61.03 Control of dogs and other animals to prevent nuisance. (a) A person who owns, possesses or controls a dog, cat or other animal shall not permit the animal to commit a nuisance on a sidewalk of any public place, on a floor, wall, stairway, sidewalk, lawn, garden or roof of any public or private premises used in common by the public, or on a fence, wall [or], stairway or entranceway of a building abutting on a public place

Banned & Oversize Dog Breeds in Stuy Town

Looks like there is some difficulty in enforcing the ban on certain dog breeds allowed inside Stuy Town/Peter Cooper Village. Somehow pitbulls and pitbull mixes have been registered in STPCV and are allowed to be freely walked about the grounds! Registered dogs in the complex are max 50 pounds. Total, if there is more than one! More than two, it's illegal. It's going to get worse, and, face it, Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village will never be like it once was.

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Read it and Weep

Current Value of ST/PCV

Was 5.4 Billion Dollars when Tishman Speyer bought the place.Became 1.7 Billion Dollars when Tishman Speyer left, with their tail between their legs. Of course, tenants now have to make up the loss.

Ex-landlord

Rob Speyer

1947 Stuy Town Plaque Honoring Met Life Chairman F.H. Ecker (Removed in 2002 and never seen again)

"... who with the vision of experience and the energy of youth conceived and brought into being this project, and others like it, that families of moderate means might live in health, comfort and dignity in park-like communities and that a pattern might be set of private enterprise productively devoted to public service."

I am writing on behalf of everyone at Tishman Speyer to express how honored we are to become part of your outstanding community. We are a business with deep roots in New York, a true love of our city and a great respect for the neighborhoods that make it special. We are committed to maintaining the unique character and environment that have made Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town such a wonderful place to live for so long. We look forward to providing you an extraordinary level of service and attentiveness that will be the source of pride and satisfaction for the entire community.

Neighborhood Recommendations

New to Stuy Town/Peter Cooper Village? Here are some basic recommendations.

Best supermarket: Associated on 14th St. between 1st Ave. and Ave A. The cheapest prices, fantastic weekly sales, very affordable lunches; solid, responsive management, but earthy. Some of the young female cashiers have attitude to spare, though. May be too far for Peter Cooper residents.

Best gym: Don't waste your money on the Oval Fitness Gym. Instead go to the earthy but real Asser Levy Recreational Center, right above 23rd St on Asser Levy Place (near the FDR Drive). $75 for a year's membership; seniors are almost free. Contains seasonal indoor and outdoor swimming pools, ping-pong table, two pool tables. Called by some rich people who wouldn't get caught going there "the prison gym," and you know why.

A Stuy Town favorite is Lenz's on 20 St. between the 20 St. Loop. The way New York used to be. Be careful of unwanted "pepper" in your food, however. Lenz's got a B grade rating and was temporarily closed down due to an order from the Health Department. Bruno's on First Avenue is more upscale, with a greater selection of food items (higher-priced, too), but was closed down temporarily by the Health Department. Stuy Town's own cafe was closed, too! And not because of all the dogs that hover and piss outside.

Gracefully has two locations, but we prefer for its size the one on 1st Ave. Prices are high and reflect the new tenants that are currently renting Stuy Town and Peter Cooper apartments. ("Do you have a credit card?") We like Gracefully's lunch specials, which are somewhat affordable.

I priced the CVS on 1st Ave near 14st. The non-aerosol hairspray was 20 cents above CVS' own website price, and one of the highest in NY. (Yes, I have hair.) You can save at least a dollar or more buying at another place. So beware. Look around for a better deal on all your items.

I love warm Quaker Oats in the morning. Gristedes is not the place to get it, nor is Associated, though their price is less. Look around!

Macular Degeneration Support Group

If you are currently diagnosed with Macular Degeneration, the New York Eye & Ear Infirmary is offering a support group for you. Conveniently located next to the Peter Cooper Village Stuyvesant Town apartment complex, our group offers the opportunity to share stories with other members, listen to expert guest speakers, and learn coping strategies to reduce stress. Our group runs on the first Wednesday of every month and we would enjoy seeing you there.
Please contact Baptiste Nicolas, Social Work Assistant at 212-979-4105 for further information and to see if this group is right for you!